Burglar guard and alarm.



E. S. PHELPS.

BURGLAR GUARD AND ALARM.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

nsmnms.

BURGLAR GUARD AND ALARM.

- APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 19, 1913.

1 071,337, Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J 6 11,1 0 1 h 7 31 I 7! 4 i w w m a 7 V I I n j UNITED STAWENT OFFIGE.

EDWIN SANFORD PHELPS, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

BURGLAR GUARD AND ALARM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN S. PHELPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burglar Guards and Alarms; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a combined guard and burglar alarm and it proposes a device which is of special utility in connection with open windows or doors 0. g. the open windows or doors of sleeping apartments.

The object of the invention is to provide a device which as a guard will make access to a room through an open window or door practically impossible and, as an alarm, will be sensitively operative to give an instantaneous and reliable warning of any attempted unlawful entry through the door or window opening to which the device is applied. In this Way the occupant of the apartment will be apprised of the presence of an intruder, while the latter is still outside of the room, and therefore will be in position to effectively protect his person and his property.

Stated generally, the device consists of a grating which substantially occupies the window or door opening and is resiliently supported in such manner that it will move or vibrate if touched or pushed from any angle, and an alarm means, preferably of electric nature, which is normally in operative, but is set in operation consequent to any slight movement or vibration of the grating. closed, the alarm includes an electric bell, the grating is operative to close the normally open contacts of the alarm circuit and inasmuch as the grating, on account of its resilient support, becomes vibratory when touched or pushed, the circuit will be intermittently closed and opened and consequently the ringing of the bell will take place intermittently, or continuously if the grating be held in a moved position. In

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 19, 1913.

WVhen, as in the embodiment dis- Patented Aug. 26,1913.

Serial No. 755,489.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanylng drawlngs, where1n:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a device in which thefeatures of the invention are incorporated in its practical application to an open window; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the resilient support for the grating and the normally open terminals of the circuit; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Similar characters of reference designate the corresponding parts throughout the several views. The guard which prevents access to the room through an open window or door consists essentially of a grating 1 which substantially occupies the window or door opening and in the embodiment shown includes a number of closely associated parallel ver tical bars connected at their lower ends by a horizontal bar 2.

The operating parts, including the sup port for the grating '1, are inaccessibly inclosed in a box or cabinet 8 which is mounted in suitable relation to the window or door opening. As shown in the drawings the device is used in connection with a window and the box or cabinet 3 is suitably mounted below the window sill.

The support for the grating 1 includes a hanger t'which, where the device is applied to the window is of inverted L shape, its horizontal leg being connected to the bar 2 and its vertical leg projecting into the box 3 through an opening 5 in the top wall thereof. The other element of the grating support consists of a'spring which is connected to the carrier or hanger 4. As shown, a relatively stiff volute coil spring 6 is employed, one end of which is secured to a wall of the box 3and the other end of which is secured to the hanger 4. The vertical leg of the hanger 4: preferably includes a socket member 4 to which the spring 6 is joined and the hanger proper terminates in a shank 4 angular or square in cross section and which fits in the socket member 4 and may be made fast thereto by a securing bolt or pin 7 By virtue of this arrangement whenever it is desired to dispense with the use of the device, the grating may be readily disassociated from the rest of the apparat-us without the necessity of removing the cabinet 3 from the wall to which it is secured. To enable access to the interior of the box for the purposes of connecting or disconnecting the hanger 1 and the socket member 4 or of inspecting, repairing or removing any of the other inclosed parts, the box 3 has a hinged door 8 which is normally locked in closed position.

It will be understood that the socket member 4 is provided merely as a matter of convenience and that, so far as the operation of the device is concerned, this socket member is a part of the hanger at and is.to be regarded merely as a detachable section thereof in so far as the embodiment shown is concerned.

The hanger 4 is unattached except to the spring 6 and it will therefore be apparent that the grating 1 is resiliently supported and is freely movable. Consequently a light touch or an easy push on said grating irrespective of the angle at which the force is applied will produce a movement thereof and this freedom of movement of the grating is utilized in connection with the alarm organization of the device.

. The drawing shows an electric alarm which includes an ordinary call bell 9 arranged in a normally open circuit, the wires of which are carried into the .box 3 and therein are joined to contacts 10 and 11. These contacts are of annular form and are concentrically related, the stationary contact 10 surrounding the movable contact 11 which is mounted on the lower portion of the hanger 4. The contacts preferably have a V shaped cross section and are arranged in matching relation. This arrangement, in connection with the freedom of movement of the grating assures of the instantaneous closure of the circuit by a slight movement of the grating in any direction and it also assures of a series of rapidly alternating circuit closures and interruptions and a consequent intermittent ringing of the bell under vibrations of the grating. In this way the effectiveness of the alarm is materially aided.

The contacts 10 and 11 are preferably suitably insulated from the parts by which they are carried, the contact 10 being inclosed within an insulating collar 12 and the contact 11 being mounted upon an insulating bushing 13.

Suitable provision is made against the grating 1 being turned to provide any clearance at the sides of the window through which an entry might be effected. This object is conveniently served by providing the contact 11 with a projection 14L which fits in an offset recess 15 of the contact 10- and functions as a key to prevent any appreciable ro tation of the hanger 4 and consequent turnhanger as an axis, and also to prevent any pivoted movement of the grating about said hanger as an axis without sounding the alarm.

The lower end of the hanger 4t terminates short of the bottom of the box 3 and projects into an opening 16 in a block or member 17 ing 16 and the opening 5 in the top wall of the box are of sufficient diameter to enable ample displacement-s of the hanger 4 for the purposes in view but prevent the hanger by the grating would not efficiently serve its purpose as a guard. In other words the walls of the openings 5 and 16 limit the movements of the hanger 1 and consequently prevent the grating 1 from being displaced to such extent as would permit an entry through the window.

In view of the fact that the parts contained in the box 3 are inaccessible from outside of the window or door opening; of the fact that the grating is freely movable in different directions and that a slight movement thereof serves to operate the alarm; and of the fact that such'a movement of the grating as would destroy its efliciency as a guard is prevented it will be appreciated that the device furnishes effective protection against intruders in all cases where the windows or doors are not otherwise guarded and it is desired to leave them open for the purposes of ventilation or to obtain a continuous circulation of fresh air.

It is not intended that matters of specific illustration and description shall impose limitations upon the scope of the succeeding claims except as may be specified in the claims.

Having fully described my invention I claim.

1. In combination, a grating, a carrier therefor, a spring serving as a support for the grating and to which the carrier is attached, and alarm means set in operation by movements. of the grating.

2. In combination, a grating, a carrier therefor, a spring serving as a support for the grating and to which the carrier is attached, alarm means set in operation by movements of the grating, and a cabinet into which the carrier projects and which incloses the spring and elements of the alarm means.

3. In combination, a grating, a carrier therefor, a spring serving as a support for the grating and to which the carrier is attached, and an electric alarm including a fixed contact and a movable contact actuated by the carrier.

41. In combination, a grating, a carrier which is secured to said bottom. The open 41 from being displaced to an extent where-- ing movement of the grating 1 about said therefor, a spring serving as a support for the grating and to which the carrier is attached, an electric alarm including a fixed contact and a movable contact actuated by the carrier, and a cabinet into which the carrier projects and which incloses the spring and the contacts.

5. In combination, a grating, a carrier therefor, a spring to which the carrier is attached and constituting the sole support for the grating, and alarm means set in operation by movements of the carrier.

6. In combination, a grating, a carrier therefor, a spring to which the carrier is attached and constituting the sole support for the grating, alarm means set in operation by movements of the carrier, and a cabinet into which the carrier projects and which incloses the spring and elements of the alarm means.

7 In combination, a grating, a carrier therefor, a spring to which the carrier is attached, and an electric alarm including concentric fixed and movable annular contacts, the movable contact being carried by the carrier.

8. In combination, a grating, a carrier therefor, a spring to which the carrier is attached, and an electric alarm including concentric fixed and movable matching annular contacts having a V shaped cross section, the movable contact being carried by the carrier.

9. In combination, a grating, a carrier therefor, a spring to which the carrier is attached, an electric alarm including concentric fixed and movable contacts, and a cabinet into which the carrier projects and which incloses the spring and the contacts.

10. In combination, a grating, a volute coil spring constituting the support for the grating, and alarm means set in operation by movements of the grating.

11. In combination, a grating, a carrier therefor, a volute coil spring constituting the support for the grating and carrier, and an electric alarm including a fixed contact and a movable contact actuated by the carrier.

12. In combination, a grating, a carrier therefor, a volute coil spring constituting the support for the grating and carrier, and an electric alarm including concentric annular fixed and movable contacts, the movable contact being connected with the carmen 13. In combination, a grating, a carrier therefor, a volute coil spring constituting the support for the grating and carrier, an electric alarm including concentric annular fixed and movable contacts, the movable contact being connected with the carrier, and

a cabinet into which the carrier projects and which incloses the spring and the contacts.

14. In combination, a grating, a carrier therefor, a volute coil spring constituting the support for the grating and carrier, an electric alarm including concentric annular fixed and movable contacts, the movable contact being connected with the carrier, and a cabinet into which the carrier projects and which incloses the spring and the contacts, one of the contacts having a lug which project-s from its circumferential face and the other contact having a recess to re* ceive the lug.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN SANFORD PHELPS.

Witnesses:

BELLA SGHMEELK, CLARA A. RYLEY.

copiel of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

